A businessman claims the value of his house has almost HALVED in the past four years . . . because his estate has been overrun by yobs.

Angry Frank Bowe has vowed to sue the council he blames for letting the area deteriorate so rapidly that his three-bedroom home is worth less than when he bought it 13 years ago.

Frank, 60, said: "I used to be proud to say where I live. Now I shrink when people ask me. We just want to be able to enjoy our home."

Boarded-up houses are becoming the norm in the area of Bishop Auckland, County Durham, where he lives with wife Sylvia, and son Gary, 38, who has cerebral palsy.

It was so different in 1989 when the couple forked out £21,000 for their former council home in Melrose Drive.

They had lived in the area for 25 years and had no reason to leave then.

At first it seemed like a good move. When they had the house valued again four years later, it was worth £32,000.

But by last year its value had plummeted to just £17,000.

Frank said: "This used to be a lovely area but about four or five years ago some of the houses started to empty and we got some problem families moving in. Groups of youths started using the out-houses in the gardens, needles and bottles were being found, and fires were being started.

"Gradually it got worse and worse."

The couple are so concerned that they refuse to let their two grandchildren visit them.

And in what could be the first case of its kind, they are set to sue Wear Valley District Council for the loss in value of their home.

Frank said: "We don't let our grandchildren stop here because our eldest woke up one night hysterical because he could hear a teenager smashing windows with a baseball bat.

"We don't get any sleep at night and are scared of going away on holiday."

Harold Douthwaite is the councillor for St Helen Auckland ward.

He said: "We have a programme to demolish houses and are looking at four different options for revamping the estate.

"But first we need to look at what housing is required. Estates get run down when not enough people want to move in, and we are not alone.

"As regards the value of Mr Bowe's house, that is the chance you take when you buy a council house.

"In some areas the value of the house might have gone up instead of down. That is the gamble."